Strawberry plant named &#39;Fresa Rica FNM&#39;

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘Fresa Rica FNM’, which originate from seed produced by manual cross between ‘E64’ and ‘86N’. The new strawberry is a day-neutral with a long, conical, glossy and a light red colour fruit. This new strawberry is characterized by a fruit of excellent quality, long shelf-life and high value of Brix degrees.

Latin name of genus and species: Fragaria x ananassa.

Varietal denomination: ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ (a.k.a., ‘A13-27N-3’). Inventor: Antonio Refoyo Píriz, Huelva (Spain). Assignee: Fresas Nuevos Materiales S.A.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of the Spanish Plant Breeder's Right (PBR) Application No. 20175320, filed on Jul. 26, 2017, titled “Oficina Española de Variedades Vegetales”, directed to the strawberry variety in the present application (named as ‘A13-27N-3’ in the PBR application), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Botanical designation: Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne.

Varietal denomination: ‘Fresa Rica FNM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct day-neutral strawberry variety designated as ‘A13-27N-3’ by the breeder, and later named ‘Fresa Rica FNM’.

‘Fresa Rica FNM’ was created in a breeding program and is the result of a controlled-cross between the experimental short day female parent designated ‘E64’ and day-neutral experimental selection ‘86N’, made by the Inventor and was first fruited in Gibraleón, (Huelva, Spain) growing fields. From the beginning and during testing, the plant was designated ‘A13-27N-3’.

This new variety was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons) by the inventor at Gibraleón, Huelva, Spain. Asexual propagules from the original source have been tested in Gibralcón, Moguer and Palos de la Frontera (Huelva, Spain) growing fields and to a limited extent, grower fields in high elevation in Arevalo, Avila, Spain. The properties of this variety were found to be transmissible by such asexual reproduction. This cultivar is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety. The varietal denomination of the new variety is ‘Fresa Rica FNM’. Among the characteristics which are believed to distinguish the new variety from other varieties are a combination of traits which include the day length that is a day neutral; the plant growth habit it is upright and open with light density of foliage; the vigour of the plant is high, the inflorescence appears at level with the foliage; the fruit colour is medium red, the fruit is very sweet, conical-shaped, very firm, medium size fruit and long shelf-life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colour photographs and traits show typical specimens of the new cultivar at various stages of development as nearly true as it is possible to make in colour reproductions. The pictures were taken during in April in Huelva, Spain.

FIG. 1 shows overall plant habit including fruit at various stages of development.

FIG. 2 shows leaves of the plant with three leaflets.

FIG. 3 shows the upperside of several flowers.

FIG. 4 shows the whole fruit.

FIG. 5 shows the fruit in longitudinal cross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinctive day-neutral variety named ‘Fresa Rica FNM’. ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ produces fruit regardless of the day length when cultivated appropriately in temperate climates.

This cultivars is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the South of Spain (Huelva); Nevertheless considering that is a day-neutral cultivar, can planted in any place of the world that provides the necessary temperatures required for it to produce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production from March through October, this happen in the central coast of California where the nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintain fruit quality for the production months.

‘Fresa Rica FNM’ is a vigorous plant, upright and open which facilitates the fruit harvesting. It produces long and mainly unbranched pedunculus. ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ produces a fruit of a medium size, with a long conical shape, a medium red color and a glossy fruit. The fruit has an excellent quality, the firmness is high and its value of Brix degrees. The fruit of ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ has an excellent taste and appearance. Also noteworthy in the new variety ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ the great shelf-life that fruit presents. ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ produces a moderate amount of stolons which facilitates its multiplication.

‘Fresa Rica FNM’ is moderately resistant to the most frequent diseases in Huelva (Spain). Specifically, it is moderately resistant to powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis), Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) and Phytophthora crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum). ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ is relatively tolerant to pests such as aphids and spider mites.

The results of production and Brix degrees of the variety ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ compared to the variety ‘San Andreas’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,975) are shown below (Table 1). The results that are shown come from a trial located in Gibraleón (Huelva, Spain). Trial was a randomized complete block design with three repetitions and 40 plants per plot. The planting date was Oct. 20, 2016 and was cultivated until May 25, 2017. It was cultivated under standard conditions of strawberry cultivation in Huelva, Spain.

TABLE 1 Variety pct ppt pcp Brix oid Fresa Rica FNM 1002 86 420 9, 7 3, 3 San Andreas  772 84 341 8, 8 3, 1 LSD(5%)  196  4 103 1, 0 0, 2 LSD(1%)  265  5 140 1, 3 0, 2 Fruit production and Brix degrees data of the new variety ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ and ‘San Andreas’. Each value is the result of the average of three repetitions of 40 plants. pct, total commercial yield in grams by plant; ppt, percentage of firth class fruit; pcp, early production (before March 31) in grams by plant; brix, Brix degrees; oid, powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) resistance score, 5 the best. LSD(5%) and LSD(1%) Least Significant Difference between the means at P ≤ 0.05 and 0.01 respectively.

The fruit of ‘Albion’ has clear differences with respect to the fruit of the new variety ‘Fresa Rica FNM’. The variety ‘Albion’ shows a fruit with a darker red, a larger fruit and the more sunken achenes than the fruit of the variety ‘Fresa Rica FNM’.

The following traits in combination distinguish strawberry variety ‘Fresa Rica FNM’ from known strawberry varieties (Tables “I. General”, “II. Leaf”, “III. Petiole, the bract, and the stipule”, “IV. Inflorescence”, “V. Runner (Stolon)” and “VI. Fruit”). We use as standard variety for comparison ‘Albion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,228). The traits were measured in Huelva (Spain), in April 2017. When we made the measurements, the plant was 6 months old. Fresh bare root plant was used for planting in October 2016. Plants for the botanical measurements in the present application were grown as annuals. Any colour references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   I. General

Characteristic Fresa Rica FNM Albion Plant Growth Habit) Upright Semi-upright Day length Neutral Neutral Density of foliage Light Medium Plant vigor High Moderate Plant Growth Habit) Upright Semi-upright Day length Neutral Neutral Density of foliage Light Medium Plant Vigor High Moderate

-   II. Leaf

Characteristic Fresa Rica FNM Albion Terminal leaflet 1.07 1.20 length/width ratio Leaf blistering Medium Weak Terminal Leaflet margin Serrate to crenate Crenate

-   III. Petiole, the bract, and the stipule

Characteristic Fresa Rica FNM Albion Petiole length (cm) 19 17 Petiole diameter (cm)  0.33  0.42 Petiole pose of hairs Outwards Slighty Outwards Petiole color (color code) RHS: N144C RHS: N144A Stipule length (cm)  2.3  2.7 Stipule width (cm)  0.6  1.0 Stipule pubescence Weak Weak Stipule anthocyanin Absence Absence presence or absence Stipule color (color code) RHS: 149C RHS: N144C Pedicel code (color code) RHS: 144C RHS: 144A Attitude of hairs on Upwards Slightly Upwards petiole and pedicel

-   IV. Inflorescence

Characteristic Fresa Rica FNM Albion Inflorescence Even Below position relative to foliage Petal spacing (e.g., overlapping etc.) Overlapping Touching Petal number per flower  5  6 Upper and lower Petal color (color code) RHS: NN155D RHS: NN155D peduncle size Long Medium Sepal shape (e.g., Elliptical, etc.) Elliptical Elliptical Sepal margin (e.g., entire, etc.) Entire Entire Sepal number per flower 12 10 Number of stamen 24 28 Anther color (color code) RHS: 2A RHS: 2A Time of flowering November 30th November 30th Shape and color of stigma Yellow Orange Color and length of style Yellow, 1.9 mm Green 1.2 mm Color of the ovary Green White Shape, size and color of anther Oval, 1.9 mm, Oval, 2.1 mm, Yellow Yellow Color and amount (scarce, moderate or Yellow Yellow abundant) of pollen Abundant Abundant Length and color of filament 3.3 mm, Green 4.2 mm, Green

-   V. Runner (Stolon)

Characteristic Fresa Rica FNM Albion Stolon anthocyanin (color RHS: N144D RHS: N144B code) Stolon pubescence Sparse Medium Stolon cancer (color code) RHS: 149B RHS: N144C

-   VI. Fruit

Characteristic Fresa Rica FNM Albion Fruiting truss length 11 cm 7 cm Truss color RHS: 144A RHS: N144A Fruit length (cm)  4.2  4.2 Fruit width (cm)  3.6  3.6 Fruit skin color (color RHS: 33A RHS: 34A code) Fruit flesh color excluding RHS: 33C RHS: N25A core Fruit length/width ratio  1.2  1.2 Fruit weight (g) 28 28 Relative fruit size Large Large Predominant fruit shape conical conical Position of achenes even below Achene color (color code) RHS: 9A RHS: 11A Diameter of calyx  3.6  3.9 Color of calyx (color RHS: 143A RHS: 141A code) Color of the flesh Light Red Medium Red Distribution of flesh color Uniform Some white center Sweetness (by brix)  9.3  7.4 Type of bearing day neutral day neutral Firmness Firm Medium 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant having the characteristics substantially as described and illustrated herein. 